wolfe



Aug. 11, 1959 M. B. WOLFE 2,899,157

GUTTER HANGER CLIP Filed Sept. 14, 1956 FIG. I

FIG. 4.

' INVENTOR.

MORTON B. WOLFE ATTORNEYS' GUTTER HANGER CLIP Morton B. Wolfe, Norwo'od, Pa., assignor to Berger Bros.

Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 14, 1956, Serial No. 609,890

Claims. (Cl. 248--48.1)

This invention relates to a gutter hanger clip. More particularly, the gutter hanger clip in accordance with this invention is adapted to secure a gutter hanger suitable for use with K type gutter to such gutter.

K type gutter is well known to the art and is widely used commercially. In contradistinction to half round gutter, K type gutter is substantially U-shaped in cross section being normally provided with a moulded front and having at the upper edge of the front a squared type bead. K type gutter is appealing because it can be made to approach appearing to be an integral part of the house at the cave section.

There has heretofore been considerable difliculty in securing satisfactorily a gutter hanger to K type gutter. In order not to destroy the attractive appearance of K type gutter, which is its strongest selling point, the means of securing the gutter to the hanger must be as inconspicuous as possible. For the same reason the securing means must be capable of keeping the gutter in a straight line. This is also necessary to insure proper drainage. In addition to these requirements, the securing means must prevent vibration and rattling of the gutter and be of adequate strength to hold the joints and seams of the gutter intact despite the normal rough treatment to which gutter is normally subjected. v

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a gutter hanger clip for use with K type gutter hangers which is inconspicuous in appearance and which will maintain the gutter in a well appearing straight line.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a gutter hanger clip for use with K type gutter hangers which will prevent the gutter from vibrating and rattling.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a gutter hanger clip for use with K type gutter which will secure the gutter to a hanger adequately to keep joints and seams intact despite the normal rough usage to which a gutter is subjected.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a gutter hanger clip which is easy to install with one hand.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gutter hanger clip which is capable of fitting a variety of makes of K type gutters despite minor variations in the dimensions of the bead of the gutter.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gutter hanger clip in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the clip of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the clip of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side perspective view of the clip of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a gutter hanger showing the clip of Figure 1 in use and showing a vertical section to a K type gutter.

As shown in the figures a gutter hanger clip 2 formed States Patent 0 Patented Aug. 11, 1959 2 of a single strip of spring metal, for example, spring steel, has an upstanding outer leg 4 with an inwardly extending lower portion 6. Leg 4 has a slot 8 which extends to either side of the bend line indicated at 10 between the main portion of leg 4 and the inwardly extending lower portion 6.

Contiguous with leg 4 is an inwardly directed leg 12 which is provided with a raised inner portion 14.

Clip 2 has a spring portion 16 contiguous with leg 12. Spring portion 16 has a pair of substantially parallel spaced legs 18 and 20 which are connected by cam portions 22 which extend upwardly at an angle to the horizontal from the lower end of leg 18 to the lower end of leg 20. Legs 18 and 20 are provided with cutout portions 24 and 26, respectively, to provide a proper spring action without distortion of the remainder of the clip. Leg 20 extends upwardly to a point above the lowest face of leg 12.

As shown in Figure 6, the clip 2 is used in connection with K type gutter 30 which has a rear wall 32, a bottom wall 34 and a moulded front wall 36. Gutter 30 has a squared bead indicated at 38 with a substantially vertical front wall 40 and a substantially horizontal top wall 42. Gutter 30 is seated in a gutter hanger 44 shaped to conform to the gutter. Hanger 44 has a hook-shaped inner end 48 and a hook-shaped outer end 50.

In operation the outer hook end 50 is passed through slot 8 and clip 2 is advanced upwardly and inwardly with cam surfaces 22 resting on the top of bead wall 42. By the pressure of, for example, a thumb at the junction of the raised and lower portions of leg 12, clip 2 is camrned inwardly until the inner edge of Wall 42 is passed by the junction between cam portions 22 and leg 20 whereupon spring action of spring portion 16 snaps clip 2 downwardly until leg 12 abuts against wall 42 of head 38 as shown in Figure 6. It will be noted that leg 20 extends upwardly sufliciently far so that wall 42 cannot slip over leg 20 to defeat the action of spring portion 16.

If wall 40 is slightly higher than normal, the lower portion 6 of leg 4 will be sprung outwardly to provide for an additional distance between leg 12 and the bottom of slot 8.

It is not desired to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.

What'is claimed is:

l. A gutter hanger clip for K type gutter having a squared bead and adapted to engage the outer hook end of a gutter hanger for K type gutter and secure the gutter to the hanger comprising: a strip of metal having an outer upstanding leg and an inwardly directed leg adapted to be opposite the side and top, respectively, of the gutter head, the outer upstanding leg having a slot for the reception of the outer end of the hanger and the inner portion of said inwardly directed leg being raised above the outer portion, a spring portion contiguous with the inner end of said inwardly directed leg and comprising a pair of spaced legs substantially parallel to the upper portion of the outer upstanding leg and connected at their lower ends by cam portions extending upwardly at an angle to the horizontal, said cam portions adapted to engage the top of the bead and camming the inwardly directed leg upwardly as the clip is moved to the securing position and the inner side of said spring portion engaging the inner edge of the head when the clip is in the securing position to clamp the bead between the outer upstanding leg and the spring portion.

2. A gutter hanger clip for K type gutter having a squared bead and adapted to engage the outer hook end of a gutter hanger for K type gutter and secure the gutter to the hanger comprising: a strip of spring metal having an outer upstanding leg and an inwardly directed leg adapted to be opposite the side and top, respectively,

the hanger and the inner portion of said inwardly directed leg being raised above theouter portion; a spring portion contiguous with the inner end of said inwardly directed leg and comprisinga pair of spaced legs substantially parallel to the upper portion of the outer upstanding leg and connected at their lower ends by cam portions extending upwardly at an angle to the horizontal, said cam portions adapted to engage the top of the bead and camming the inwardly directed leg upwardly as the clip is moved to the securing position and the inner side of said spring portion engaging the inner edge of the bead when the clip is in the securing position to clamp the bead between the outer upstanding leg and the spring portion. 7 V

3. A gutter hanger clip for K type gutter having a squared bead and adapted to engage the outer hook end of a gutter hanger for K type gutter and secure the gutter to the hanger comprising: a strip of spring metal having an outer upstanding leg and an inwardly directed leg adapted to be opposite the side and top, respectively, of the gutter head, the outerupstanding leg having a lower portion extending inwardly from the upper portion and a slot lying on either side of the junction of the lower and upper portions for the reception of the outer end of the hanger and the inner portion of said inwardly directed. leg being raised above the outer portion, a spring portion contiguous with the inner end of said inwardly directed leg and comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel legs substantially parallel to the upper portion of the outer upstanding leg and connected at their lower ends by cam portions extending upwardly at an angle to the horizontal, said cam portions adapted to engage the top of the bead and camming the inwardly directed leg upwardly as the clip is moved to the securing position and the inner side of said spring portion engaging the inner edge of the bead when the clip is in the securing position to clamp the head between the outer upstanding leg and the spring portion.

4. A gutter hanger clip for K type gutter having a squared bead and adapted to engage the outer hook end of a gutter hanger for K type gutter and secure the gutter to the hanger comprising: a strip of spring metal having an outer upstanding leg and an inwardly directed leg adapted to be opposite the side and top, respectively, of the gutter bead, the outer upstanding leg having of the gutter head, the outer upstanding leg having a slot for the reception of the outer end of a slot for the reception of the outer end of the hanger and the inner portion of said inwardly directed leg being raised above the outer portion, a spring portion contiguous with the inner end of said inwardly directed leg and comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel legs substantially parallel to the upper portion of the outer upstanding leg and connected at their lower ends by cam portions extending upwardly at an angle to the horizontal, said spaced legs in the spring portion having a substantial portion of their lower ends cut out, said cam portions adapted to engage the top of the bead and camming the inwardly directed leg upwardly as the 'clip is moved to the securing position and the inner side of said spring portion engaging the inner edge of the bead when the clip is in the securing position to clamp the bead between the outer upstanding leg and the spring portion.

5. A gutter hanger clip for K type gutter having a squared bead and adapted to engage the outer hook end of a gutter hanger for K type gutter and secure the gutter to the hanger comprising: a strip of spring metal having an outer upstanding leg and an inwardly directed leg adapted to be opposite the side and top, respectively, of the gutter bead, the outer upstanding leg having a slot for the reception of the outer end of the hanger and the inner portion of said inwardly directed leg being raised above the outer portion, a spring portion contiguous with the inner end of said inwardly directed leg and comprising a pair of spaced substantially parallel legs substantially parallel to the upper portion of the outer upstanding leg and connected at their lower ends by cam portions extending upwardly at an angle to the horizontal, said cam portions adapted to engage the top of the bead and camming the inwardly directed leg upwardly as the clip is moved to the securing position and the inner side of said spring portion engaging the inner edge of the bead when the clip is in the securing position to clamp the bead between the outer upstanding leg and the spring portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,640,369 Peirez Aug. 30, 1927 2,223,622 7 Kost Dec. 3, 1940 2,387,241 Boyd Oct. 23, 1945 2,724,882 Poupitch Nov. 29, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 988,305 France Apr. 25, 1951 

